WA parties appeal to hearts and pockets

WHILE Labor spent Sunday appealing to West Australians' emotions by promising to fund cancer research and specialists, the Liberals were spruiking plans to further loosen the red tape on shopping.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan announced Labor would allocate $100 million over four years to provide more doctors, nurses and research to combat cancer.

The package would include $45 million for cancer staff, $40 million for medical research, $10 million for asbestos-related cancer prevention, and $5 million to help low-income earners with cancer-related travel.

Mr McGowan said the funding would lead to shorter waiting lists to see specialists and encourage more specialists to practise in WA.

The asbestos funding would also establish a register to identify the location and amount of asbestos in WA, and the deadly material's safe removal, he said.

But the Liberals accused Labor of playing catch-up to their own commitment of $109 million over four years.

The Liberals funding includes the same $45 million Labor committed to cancer doctors and nurses, which was already allocated in the current state budget.

It also includes an additional $30 million for health and medical research and $34 million over four years for palliative care.

Mr McGowan dodged questions from the media on opinion polls, saying he was focused on working hard on winning the March 9 election.

Latest poll results show the Liberals well in front as preferred party.

"If that poll is accurate, well then, the people of Western Australia will have an arrogant and out of touch government for the next four years," Mr McGowan said.

He also said Labor's Metronet public transport project would be submitted to Treasury to be costed on Monday or Tuesday.

Premier Colin Barnett was quiet on Sunday and left it to Commerce Minister Simon O'Brien to make the Liberals' major campaign announcement - allowing small retailers to employ more staff and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mr O'Brien said the Liberals would increase the number of shops a small retailer could own and the number of staff they could hire but still qualify as a small retailer.

To qualify as a small retailer now, a shop owner cannot own more than three shops and cannot have more than 18 staff on the floor.

Under the Liberals plan the maximum number of stores would increase to four and the staff to 25.

They also announced an increase in funding for school chaplains of $2.36 million over four years, and $4 million over four years for schools to create private counselling rooms for psychologists, chaplains and nurses.

The Liberals also pledged $10 million to refurbish Police and Community Youth Centres (PCYC) buildings and an additional 30 specialist police officers to work with PCYCs and schools in high crime areas. The Liberals have already promised 720 new officers over the next four years.

A specific children's court would also be established, with powers to refer offenders to PCYC programs.